Not Just a Piece in Their Games
by Team Renly
Summary: From the moment he heard her sing Peeta knew he was a goner so how is it that in 11 years, Peeta never once managed to talk to her? A few words made the difference: "Best friends forever, right?"
1. The Beginning of Everything

**I might change the description every chapter so I'll put it up here for people who start reading after I've written more than one chapter: **_For Peeta Mellark the story started a long time before the Hunger Games. Eleven years ago, that was the beginning for the boy with the bread._

**I've seen a lot of Peeta's POV Hunger Games around the place but I think that there are a ton of times before the Reapings that are essential to the story of the boy with the bread. I don't know how far I'll take this story but I know it begins on the first day of school.**

**If you think 'wow this kid writes like a five year old' when you read this, congrats, this is Peeta when he's only 5.**

_Peeta Mellark ~ Age 5_

It's the first day of school for me.

Both my big brothers have already been going for years; they have friends coming around to the bakery sometimes to play with them. They already know all of the people in their class while I've never met these girls and boys before. I haven't seen any of the kids from the Seam before; they don't buy our bread very often. I asked Papa why they don't like our bread and he said that they made their own with something called 'tessera.' I asked him what tessera was and he said it was a type of grain.

I spend most of my time in the bakery, helping Mama and Papa with the bread or painting in my room. The only time I leave is to go to the paint shop, to see all the new colours that the owner, Mr. Carson, buys from the Capitol.

I like it in the paint shop. It's nice and peaceful and there aren't too many other people around.

There are lots of people around here that I don't know. Papa says that these strangers are alright but I'm still nervous. I've never talked to someone from the Seam before; they seem so different with their dark hair and grey eyes. It's like I've moved to another District and soon Papa's going to leave me here all alone with the strangers.

"Papa, I don't want you to go," I say, pulling at his pant leg.

He looks down at me with his sparkling blue eyes and as he pulls me into a hug I feel safer, even with all the strangers.

"It'll be okay little Peeta, I know you'll make some new friends. If you get worried, just remember that in the afternoon I'll be waiting for you right here," he replies, ruffling my hair like he always does when I'm scared.

"But I don't know anyone here, what if they don't like me?" I ask as more kids join the group of people waiting outside the classroom.

"I know they'll like you, just be confident. Tell you what, I'll tell you about some of the other children so you don't feel so scared," Papa says as he lifts me onto his back so I can see everyone he points out. "You see that girl, with the slightly orange hair?" Papa asks, pointing out a little girl near the door wearing a bright blue dress with black shoes, and I nod, "That's Mr. Carson's daughter, the man who runs the paint shop."

Mr. Carson's nice; he always lets me try out the new colours when he buys them. Maybe his daughter might be the same.

"You see that little boy with the red shirt, the one whose hair still looks like he's sleeping on it? That's Mrs. Gardner's son. She always likes to thank you when she buys one of your cupcakes," he points at the little boy.

I like making the cupcakes; it's like painting but with food.

"See that little girl?" Papa asks as he points out a Seam girl wearing a red dress with two braids in her hair, "I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."

"A coal miner?" I ask, "Why did she want a coal miner when she could've had you?"

Papa pauses for a second before answering, "Because when he sings… even the birds stop to listen."

How could she choose a singer over Papa? He can cook, he owns the bakery and he's the nicest Papa ever. Maybe the birds were just too tired to sing, that's no reason not to want to marry my Papa.

A little bell over the door rings as the teacher opens it. Papa puts me down on the ground and gives me a hug as he says "Okay Peeta, have fun at school. You'll be alright, I know you will."

When I stand in line, I can still see Papa waving to me.

It's not until I walk into the door that I can't see Papa and I already want to go home.

The teacher says her name is Mrs. Cole and she asks everyone in the class to come to the front of the room and say their names. Mr. Carson's daughter's name is Eve and Mrs. Gardner's son that Papa pointed out to me is named Frost. When I go up to the front of the class I can see everyone watching me as I say, "Peeta Mellark," as loudly and confidently as I can manage.

Directly after me is the girl whose father can make the birds stop singing. She says, "Katniss Everdeen," quickly before she sits down again. 'Everdeen' doesn't sound so special, why would some sleepy birds be better than my Papa?

The first lesson is writing. We all get given pencils to write our letters on a piece of paper like Papa uses to wrap up the cakes with the special icing on them.

I like writing; it's like painting in a special order. Paintings can make pictures but with letters it can talk to people.

Painting is something I'd do at home so writing at school feels more normal than it did before.

After practicing our letters, we get a break to go out into the concrete square in the middle of the school buildings. I can see my brothers with their friends in different groups spread out over the square. Ash is sitting quietly on the ground while Ven is standing as the centre of attention.

Even Ash is in a group and I don't want to go to the big groups of older kids.

I walk over to Eve where she stands nervously, looking around the square like I did.

"Hi… I know your Papa. I like his shop," I say as I walk up to stand beside her.

"I know I've seen you there sometimes," she replies nervously, "My Papa likes you; he lets you use the new paints."

"He has nice paints," I reply as we continue to stand. I can see Frost standing with two other merchant boys under the shade of the classroom roof.

"Do you want to go talk to them?" I ask and Eve nods uncertainly.

As I walk over, I see Katniss sitting alone among Seam kids. For a second I wonder if I should ask her to come with us, but I remember how Papa said her mother ran away with her father when Papa loved her and I keep walking.

We talk about our houses until the bell rings again and we go back into the classroom.

The next lesson is music.

"This week in music assembly, we will be studying the valley song. Does anyone know the song?" the teacher asks as Katniss' hand shoots up into the air, "Now, Ms. Everdeen, come up here and we can all listen to you sing it for those of us who haven't heard it."

Mrs. Cole picks up a stool from behind her desk and puts it in front of the class. Katniss is blushing bright red to match her dress as she stands on top of the stool. A few of the people who know some of the song look bored until she opens her mouth.

Not a single bird so much as flutters as she begins to sing.

I know the birds weren't just sleepy.

**I hope you liked baby Peeta. Next up is 6 year old Peeta at school once again.**

**Also: THANKS TO CORBIN AND LULU FOR BETAING (I sort of forgot to mention this the first time...)  
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	2. The First Always

**Summary:** _From the moment he heard her sing Peeta knew he was a goner, so how is it that in 11 years, Peeta never once managed to talk to her? A few words made the difference: "Best friends forever, right?"_

**COME SUBMIT: www . fanfiction . net/s/7776336/1/Doomsday_The_Final_Solution (delete the spaces) It's a collab between Maddie Rose, laralulu, Tare-Bear, The Girl Who Was On Fire and myself and we need your tributes. It's not your average SYOT but I won't ruin the surprise by telling you without convincing you to check it out.  
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Today's the first day back at school after the holidays.

I can walk to school on my own now; Papa says I'm a big boy now and that I can walk to school all on my own.

I was nervous but Papa says that it's a big job but he thinks that I can do it. I can't let my Papa down and Delly and Eve meet me with their Mamas on the way to school so I don't have to walk by myself.

Papa says he can't come because there's lots of work for him and Mama at the bakery because of a dap... dep... sad money time. I said I could stay home but Papa says that school's important and that I can't just leave it to help. I don't know why but I know Papa wouldn't lie to me; he and Mama must be able to finish the work on their own.

As soon as I get to the courtyard outside our new classroom, in Block 2 not Block 1, I can see Katniss Everdeen; the girl who made the birds go quiet when she sang last year. I don't think I've ever heard anything as pretty in my life. It was a year ago that I first heard the birds stop singing but I haven't been able to talk to her.

She sits with different people and I don't want to walk up to all of them to talk to her, they might not like me and then Katniss might not like me...

I'm about to try talking to her when Delly and Eve's parents leave and Frost comes along to stand with us. "Hi, happy to be back?" he asks jokingly. We all know Frost hates school but I don't get why. We get to write and we get to listen to Katniss sing, I don't know why being at home is better than that.

"Yes, now we all get to spend every day together!" Delly says happily. Her Mama asked if we could watch her while her Mama and Papa went out for a little bit. Frost and Eve were already at my house and Delly came over again every time we were together after that.

"Yup," I smile as we line up for class. This year we have a new teacher, Ms. Dust, and she's younger than Mrs. Cole.

"Good morning class," Ms. Dust says as she stands in the front of the line.

"Good morning Ms. Dust," the class says back as all the parents go off to work.

"Now, before we all go to class, I thought it would be fun to play a game. Would you all like to play a game?" she asks.

Everyone in the class replies, "Yes Ms. Dust."

Mrs. Cole never let us play games before class.

"Okay then, find a partner and stand beside them," she says as everyone splits into pairs. Most people have someone to go with that they sat with last year or are standing next to and get told by Ms. Dust to be partners.

Katniss is still by herself and I know that all I have to do is walk over there and maybe I could hear her sing again, just hear her voice and see if the birds will stop for it as well.

"Hey Peeta, PEETA!" Frost yells as I watch the teacher walk towards Katniss with a blonde haired girl behind her. I have a few seconds to go and ask Katniss to be my partner before Ms. Dust puts her with the blonde girl. "PEETA!" Frost screams in my ear as he turns me to face him, Eve and Delly.

"Sorry," I say as I realise I've been ignoring them for the past few seconds to watch Katniss.

"So do you want to be my partner?" Frost asks, "Delly and Eve are partners so you're mine right? Because we're best friends," he says as he looks at all of us, "Best friends forever, right?"

I can see Katniss with the blonde girl as I put my hand into the middle of the circle and the others stack their hands on top, "Right."

"Now that we all have partners," Ms. Dust talks a little louder to make sure everyone is quiet, "We're going to play a running game where you have to work with your partners. You have to run to the line over there and back, taking turns for 3 turns each, while carrying an apple in your spoon. If you drop the apple you have to start the lap again.

I give Frost the spoon to go first and I can see Katniss running at the same time; she's the fastest even when she has the apple. I wonder if she knows that she runs like the quiet birds fly...

Frost is breathing loudly when he passes me the spoon and I run towards the other line and run back, trying to run faster than Katniss so she'll see me.

When Frost gets back he looks really tired but I know there's only one lap left.

_Maybe if we win we'll get a prize so Katniss can see me..._ I think as I run back to Frost who's still panting as he tries to run. I know that he looks sick but I think that he will still make it back when he falls over, scraping along the gravel. He lies on the ground with his knee scraped but he still has the apple on his spoon. I look at Katniss but then I look at Frost; Papa would say that I should help him and he's my best friend even if the birds are louder than he is.

I run to the middle and help him up, giving him a piggyback like my Papa always does when I fall over. He has the spoon to the start again then I hold the spoon to run to the other end and back, coming last by only a little bit.

Ms. Dust runs over but I carry him towards the nurse at the school. I've never been in there because I make sure I eat my vegetables and stay clean so I don't get sick. When I put Frost on the little bed in the corner, the nurse gives him some sleep syrup as he starts coughing again. I should have helped him not watched Katniss...

"Bu-" he breathes in my ear as he coughs; his breath smells like sugar and syrup, "Thank you..."

"We're best friends," I say. Why wouldn't I help my best friend? That would be mean...

"Forever?"

"Always."

**Sorry Corbin and Lulu for forgetting to mention your awesome idea and story beta-ing. I did add it in the last chapter but hey, here's some extra recognition.  
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